Tapered battery fill port

Abstract

The battery includes a container that holds an electrode assembly. The container has an opening that extends from an external side of the container to an internal side of the container. A plug is configured to be inserted into the opening. The plug has a plug taper configured such that a width of the plug decreases linearly from an external side of the plug to an internal side of the plug. The plug taper is present on the plug before the plug is inserted into the opening.

1 . A battery, comprising:
 a container that holds an electrode assembly, the container having an opening that extends from an external side of the container to an internal side of the container, and   a plug configured to be inserted into the opening,
 the plug having a plug taper configured such that a width of the plug decreases linearly from an external side of the plug to an internal side of the plug, the plug taper being present on the plug before the plug is inserted into the opening. 
   
     
     
         2 . The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the plug is received in the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The battery of  claim 2 , wherein the external side of the plug is recessed relative to the external side of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the opening has an opening taper configured such that a width of the opening decreases from an external side of the container to an internal side of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein the width of the opening decreases linearly from the external side of the container to the internal side of the container 
     
     
         6 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein the plug taper is complementary to the opening taper. 
     
     
         7 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein an opening taper angle is in a range of angles greater than 0 degrees and less than 10 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein an interface between the plug taper and the opening taper is a self-holding taper. 
     
     
         9 . The battery of  claim 8 , wherein the interface is a Jacobs taper or a Morse taper. 
     
     
         10 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein one or more lateral sides of the container define the opening, and
 an interface between the plug and the one or more lateral sides includes a gap region where the one or more lateral sides are spaced apart from the plug and a contact region where the one or more lateral sides contact the plug,   the contact region being closer to the external side of the container than the gap region.   
     
     
         11 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the gap region is open to an electrolyte within the container. 
     
     
         12 . The battery of  claim 4 , wherein a weld contacts the external side of the container and the external side of the plug. 
     
     
         13 . The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the plug includes a handle extending from a plug body. 
     
     
         14 . The battery of  claim 1 , wherein the plug includes a pin extending from a plug body, the pin serving as a terminal for the battery. 
     
     
         15 . A battery, comprising:
 a container that holds an electrode assembly, the container having one or more lateral sides that define an opening that extends through from an external side of the container to an internal side of the container, and   a plug received in the opening, an interface between the plug and the lateral sides of the container being constructed as a self-holding taper.   
     
     
         16 . The battery of  claim 15 , wherein the self-holding taper is a Jacobs taper or a Morse taper. 
     
     
         17 . The battery of  claim 15 , wherein the plug includes a plug taper configured such that a width of the plug decreases linearly from an external side of the plug to an internal side of the plug. 
     
     
         18 . The battery of  claim 15 , wherein the plug taper has a shape that is complementary to the opening in the container. 
     
     
         19 . The battery of  claim 17 , wherein a plug taper angle is in a range of angles greater than 0 degrees and less than 10 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The battery of  claim 15 , wherein an interface between the plug and the one or more lateral sides includes a gap region where the one or more lateral sides are spaced apart from the plug and a contact region where the one or more lateral sides contact the plug,
 the contact region being closer to the external side of the container than the gap region.